Running Out of Time: Chapters 9–16

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jessie learns that the 19th-century frontier village she lives in is actually a 20th-century tourist attraction — and she must venture out into the modern world to find life-saving medicine for her community.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–16, Chapters 17–25
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. touchy
    quick to take offense
    Jessie heard mumblings around the boy who’d made fun of Pa, something like, “touchy, touchy.”
  2. vital
    urgently needed; absolutely necessary
    She crowded forward, pretending to be very intent on Mrs. Spurning’s explanation of how vital a blacksmith was to an 1840s community. Mrs. Spurning couldn’t say enough about how important Pa was, Jessie thought.
  3. anthropologist
    a social scientist specializing in the study of humanity
    “You have to reserve the lookouts way in advance, because anthropologists are beginning to flock to Clifton for those spots. It’s a wonderful perspective on a primitive culture,” Mrs. Spurning said.
  4. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Jessie glowered. Primitive culture! She’d like to see Mrs. Spurning work like Ma or any other woman in Clifton.
  5. chaperone
    one who accompanies and supervises young people
    The woman had told Mrs. Spurning she was a chaperon, not the teacher. Did she have a bigger name because she was meaner?
  6. rote
    characterized by mechanical or thoughtless repetition
    “This school focuses entirely on memorization and rote recitation,” Mrs. Spurning said. “Pupils study and then repeat back what they have learned. That was considered the best way to educate a child in the early 1800s.”
  7. casual
    marked by a lack of concern
    “Oh, they’re having some germs going around. Colds, nothing serious. I’m sure there are times when Oakdale’s a little empty, too,” Mrs. Spurning said.
    Her tone was so casual that Jessie decided Mrs. Spurning really believed what she said.
  8. harried
    troubled persistently, especially with petty annoyances
    At the end of the hall, Mrs. Spurning said good-bye and left the children to the harried chaperon.
  9. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    She heard a woman coaxing a little boy.
    “Come on, Jason. Get out of the car,” the woman said.
  10. evidently
    in a manner that is obvious or unmistakable
    She marveled that Ma’s plan seemed to be working: Evidently no one had noticed Jessie was gone.
  11. gawk
    look with amazement
    Jessie gawked. Was this what Ma meant when she said limousines were big cars?
  12. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    There was a small building ahead, like the guardhouses or sentry stations that surrounded all the forts in Jessie’s history book pictures.
  13. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    Even yards away, Jessie could see the intricate twists of strong metal that would take Pa years to make.
  14. barb
    a sharp projection preventing easy extraction
    And at the top, almost at a right angle from the rest of the fence, there were rows of wires full of poking barbs.
  15. reckon
    expect, believe, or suppose
    “Well, I reckon you tricked me on that one. I’m not sure it’s fair calling fire alive, but you’re right, this fire will eat anything. And as soon as I pour water on it, it’s out. I must be pretty dumb, not knowing that with the answer right in front of me.”
  16. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Now Jessie bit her lip, wishing she hadn’t conjured up such a memory.
  17. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    She listened intently to his answer.
  18. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    There were two loaves of bread—firm and pungent, not like that squishy stuff in the truck.
  19. finicky
    fussy, especially about details
    With so many banks failing, Mr. Seward was getting finicky about what money he would accept at the store.
  20. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    She pried open another part of the billfold. This had pages, with papers stuck between a slippery surface.
  21. billfold
    a pocket-sized case for holding paper money
    Jessie felt so strange, she snapped the billfold shut and put it back in the pack.
  22. hypocritical
    professing feelings or virtues one does not have
    It’s not like I care that much about losing weight. It’s for my wife. She keeps asking, ‘Isn’t there something hypocritical about being a fat environmentalist? Using up all the world’s resources?’
  23. wary
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
    Yet Ma had warned Jessie to be wary of all strangers, not just Clifton’s guards.
  24. contraption
    a small mechanical device or tool
    Beneath the sign, there was a small white building and strange contraptions that looked like hitching posts for cars.
  25. unnerve
    disturb the composure of
    The strange cooped-up cold and the mirrors unnerved her.
  26. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
    Then he’d ask, in his dry pretentious voice, “Do you have your parents’ permission to spend this?”
  27. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    The box would have intrigued her if she hadn’t been so curious about the boy.
  28. leery
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
    But the fat environmentalist’s warning about poison water made her leery of drinking from any of the streams she crossed.
  29. legislature
    an assembly that makes, amends, or repeals laws
    It seemed there wasn’t anything in Indianapolis except the legislature building and a couple others.
  30. tantalizing
    very pleasantly inviting
    She found herself in a large room full of tables and chairs and the tantalizing smell of cooked chicken.
Created on Tue Jul 20 10:12:02 EDT 2021 (updated Wed Jul 21 11:43:46 EDT 2021)

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